Page 24 of Touchdown

I clasp Luke’s hands, hating the hurt in his voice. “I know. It was never about you, Luke. I know you would have respected my boundaries. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to respect those boundaries. I knew that if I stayed, I would keep falling for you. I’d already proven that I couldn’t resist you. It was only a matter of time. I had to go. It was the only way to protect myself.”

Luke sighs, squeezing my hands. “I understand why you did it, but you’re wrong, Cody. You don’t need to protect yourself from me. I would never betray you.”

“Zack told me the same thing.”

“I am not Zack. We’ve got something special between us. I know you feel it too. Are you really going to throw it away just because you’re scared? Sure, it’s a risk, but living is a risk. Honestly, how likely do you think it is that I’d betray you?”

“Not likely,” I admit, “but I thought the same of Zack.”

“So, you got a bad egg. What are the chances of you getting two in a row? There are good people in the world, Cody. Don’t let one bad experience close you off to ever having another good one.”

“What are you suggesting, Luke?”

Luke sits up slightly and moves forward so that he can look at me. “Come on a date with me. Let’s give us a real chance. We can go as slow as you like. Just try, Cody. Please? For me?”

How can I resist him when he’s saying things like that? When he’s looking at me so sweetly and sincerely that I can’t imagine him ever doing anything to hurt me.

“I’m not Zack,” Luke says quietly. “I can prove it to you, if you’d just let me.”

I feel like I’m rushing headlong toward a cliff and I have no way to stop. I’m not sure if I want to.

The edge approaches and I see what is beyond, and it is beautiful.

I jump.

“Okay.”

To say I’m nervous is an understatement. I’m a fucking wreck. This is my first date since Zack and it’s withLuke.It’s not exactly low stakes. This is the man I—well, it’s Luke. I care for him way too much already.

Now that I’ve agreed to date him, I desperately don’t want to mess this up. He’s already been kinder than I deserve, giving me a second chance after I freaked out and quit the team.

I was more than a little surprised when Brandon welcomed me back with open arms. Apparently, my contract was still in place and they wanted me back. They hadn’t taken my impulsive quitting seriously. I stepped back in like I’d never left.

None of the rest of the team knows the details of why I left, but they’ve all figured out that it was some kind of personal issue between Luke and me. Now, though, we’re playing better than ever together and things are looking good.

Except my closet. My closet is a fucking disaster. Why do I havenothingto wear?

I pull out yet another pair of pants, holding them against my hips before tossing them aside. Too casual. We’re not going anywhere formal, but I still want to dress nicely. This is our first real date, after all, and I don’t want Luke to feel like I’m not making any effort.

I unfold a shirt only to throw it away in disgust. That’s not going to do at all. I’m not feeling nearly confident enough to wear red right now. Another pair of pants goes on the discarded pile—too formal.

I glance at the clock and yelp in panic. It’s just ten minutes until Luke is due to arrive. I snatch up the first two things on the pile and put them on, grimacing, realizing that I’m not going to be happy with anything at this point.

Red shirt and too formal pants it is, I guess. I probably look ridiculous, but it’s better than showing up at the door in my underwear.

I barely have time to brush my hair and run wax through it before the doorbell rings.

I hurry to the door and wrench it open, nearly groaning in dismay at the sight. Why does Luke have to look like a sex god come down to grace the Earth and here I am in my stupidly mismatched clothes?

“Cody? Are you alright?”

Why does he have to be able to read me so well? I mean, I love it most of the time, but it certainly gets inconvenient in moments like this.

“I’m good. You look great.”

“So do you.”

I roll my eyes.

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